2 Canadian Armed Forces Members Arrested by Toronto Police in Connection to Organized Crime, Kidnapping

A Canadian flag is seen on a Canadian Armed Forces member’s uniform in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Lars Hagberg

The Department of Defence says it has removed two members of the 7th Toronto Regiment from military duty and restricted their access to bases after Toronto police arrested them on various charges.

In an email to The Epoch Times, a DND spokesperson confirmed that Sachintha Fernando and James Moreau were arrested by the Toronto Police Service on Aug. 11 on charges of organized crime, kidnapping, and theft of firearms and weapons.

The department said that Fernando enrolled in the Canadian Army as a reservist in January 2020, although he never deployed on a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operation. Meanwhile, Moreau enrolled in the army as a reservist in March 2018 and deployed on a COVID-19 pandemic operation in Ontario in 2020.

The DND spokesperson said that following the men’s arrest, the department removed Fernando and Moreau from military duties and restricted their access to CAF equipment, venues, and bases.

Meanwhile, they remain members of the CAF, pending the outcome of an administrative review, which formally assesses matters that may affect members’ continued service while providing procedural fairness, the department said.

The spokesperson added that the Canadian Army continues to support the Toronto Police Service’s ongoing investigation and referred all other questions to the policing agency. The Epoch Times reached out to the Toronto Police Service but has not heard back.